Accumulator control system

ABSTRACT

A pressure accumulator control system comprising a mounting block having a port to which the liquid port of the accumulator which is desirably mounted on the block may be connected, a pressure port and a discharge port, said block having a passageway connecting the first port to the pressure port with a manually operable shutoff valve in said passageway, a second passageway in communication with said first port, an automatically operable valve mounted on said block controlling communication between said first port and said discharge port, a pressure relief valve also mounted in said discharge passageway and a manually operated relief valve controlling flow between a relief passageway connecting said first passageway and the discharge passageway, said pressure port having an associated one-way valve with means to control the opening of said valve.

United States Schiin atent 1 [451 Feb. 27, 1973 ACCUMULATOR CONTROLSYSTEM [75] Inventor:

many

Calif.

[22] Filed: Oct. 13, 1971 [21] Appl. No.: 188,794

[30] Foreign Application Priority Data Oct. 28, 1970 Germany ..P 20 52892.1

[52] U.S. Cl. ..l37/593, 137/608, 137/568 [51] Int. Cl ..F16l 55/04 [58]Field of Search ..137/593, 567, 568, 608, 571, 137/270, 271

Otmar Schiin, Scheidterberg, Ger- 1 7/1971 Tam et a]. ..137/568 11/1966Wagner .137/568 X Primary Examinerl-1enry T. Klinksiek AssistantExaminer-Ira S. Lazarus Attorney-Arthur B. Colvin [5 7] ABSTRACT Apressure accumulator control system comprising a mounting block having aport to which the liquid port of the accumulator which is desirablymounted on the block may 'be connected, a pressure port and a dischargeport, said block having a passageway connecting the first port to thepressure port with a manually operable shutoff valve in said passageway,a second passageway in communication with said first port, anautomatically operable valve mounted on said block controllingcommunication between said first port and said discharge port, apressure relief valve also mounted in said discharge passageway and amanually operated relief valve controlling flow between a reliefpassageway connecting said first passageway and the dischargepassageway, said pressure port having an associated one-way valve withmeans to control the opening of said valve.

6 Claims, 2 Drawing Figures ACCUMULATOR CONTROL SYSTEM It is among theobjects of the invention to provide a pressure accumulator controlsystem including a control block on which the pressure accumulator maybe mounted, which system is compact and may readily be fabricated at lowcost and which will provide in one integral package suitable valving andsafety features to permit normal operation of the hydraulic systemconnected to the control system and which will also permit automaticrelief of the accumulator in the event of power failure to preventinadvertent actuation of the system and will permit cut off and drainageof the accumulator when required for service, which control system isnot likely to be deranged with long use due to the substantialelimination of pipes or conduits between the control valves.

According to the invention these objects are accomplished by thearrangement and combination of elements hereinafter described and moreparticularly recited in the drawing.

In the accompanying drawing in which is shown one of various possibleembodiments of the several features of the invention;

FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic view of the control system, and

FIG. 2 is a sectional view of the control system.

Referring now to the drawings, the pressure accumulator control systemcomprises a control block G on which the accumulator Sp is mounted.

The accumulator desirably comprises a pressure resistant vesselillustratively a rigid shell having opposed ports P-l, P-2 and apartition, preferably a bladder of resilient deformable material ispositioned in the shell dividing the latter into two chambers C-1 andC-2 for gas and liquid respectively in communication with the ports P-1and P-2 respectively.

The chamber C-l is adapted to be charged with gas under pressure throughport P-1 and the chamber C-2 is adapted to becharged with fluid such asoil under pressure through p'ort P-2. As the-pressure accumulator may beof any conventional type, such as for example, that shown in U.S. Pat.No. 3,439,712, it will not be further described, except as is necessaryfor an understanding of the invention.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the block G has a mounting position A for theaccumulator. It has a port T to be connected to a reservoir; a port Z towhich a pressure gauge M may be connected and a port P to which a sourceof fluid such as oil may be connected and which also is connected to thehydraulic system to be operated.

Referring to FIG. 2, the block G has a bore 13 therethrough, the upperend of which has an externally threaded sleeve 26 secured thereto as bywelding, said sleeve having a flanged end 26a secured to the block G andan outwardly extending threaded portion which mounts the tubular fitting26b of the accumulator Sp is secured, said tubular fitting defining afluid port of the pressure vessel, which is in communication with thebore 13. A transverse bore 53 extends from bore 13 to the port Z towhich the pressure gauge M is secured. Positioned in the bore 13 is ashutoff ball valve V-l having a spherical ball member 1 to which a shaft2 is secured, the latter extending transversely out of the block Gthrough a suitable oil tight bearing B and an operating handle 3 beingmounted on the shaft to con trol the ball element 1. The lower end 54 ofbore 13 mounts a hollow fitting 27 which is screwed into an internallythreaded opening in such lower end 54 of bore 13. The fitting 27 has aone-way valve S in the form of a ball 30 retained on its seat 32 by acoil spring 31. The fitting 27 has a passageway 55 in communication atone end with the valve seat 32 and at its other end with the port P. Inorder to release the ball 30 during the start up of the system, anoperating pin 29a is provided, one end of which is adapted to abutagainst the ball 30 and the other end of which mounts a piston 29slidably mounted in a piston chamber 56. One end of the chamber is incommunication with a port L and the other end of the chamber is incommunication with the port 28. Extending transversely from the bore 13between valve V-l and bore 53 is a passage 14 which leads into alongitudinal bore 57 extending parallel to bore 13. The bore 57 has anupper chamber 15, the lower end of which defines a seat 58 and the ball4 of one-way valve V-2, the ball being retained on its seat by coilspring 5.

Positioned in the lower portion of bore 57 is a screw element 8 having asealing ring 7. The screw element 8 is retained in the lower portion ofbore 57 by coacting threads 9 and 10. When the screw element 8 isoperated by turning handle H, the pin 12 will push against ball 4 tomove the latter off its seat 58 to connect the ball or passageway 13leading to the accumulator Sp, through transverse passageway 14 and openvalve seat 58 into chamber 16 beneath the seat 58 and then viatransverse passageway 17 to longitudinal passageway 18 leading to port Tto discharge the accumulator. From the passageway of bore 13 thereextends an additional transverse passageway 19 which extends through thewall of the block G as at 61 and which mounts a screw in pressurelimiting valve D having a body portion 19a. The annular groove 21 of thevalve D is aligned with the longitudinal passageway 18 and with apassageway 22 to a port 23. The transverse passageway 19 is connected bya passageway 24 to a port 25.

Mounted on the block G is a solenoid operated shutoff valve EV whichillustratively is a two-way valve that may be hydraulically orpneumatically operated and which is in communication with the ports 23and 25.

On energization of valve EV, flow of fluid through the valve EV isblocked and on de-energization of the valve EV illustratively when nocurrent is passing through the solenoid which operates the same, thevalve EV is switched to open position. As a result, the accumulator Spis connected to the reservoir through passage 13, transverse passage 19,connecting passageway 20, open valve EV, connecting passage 22, annularspace 21 and passage 18 which leads to port T.

During operating of the hydraulic system (not shown) which is connectedto the port P, the shut-off valve V-1 and the releasable non-returnvalve S including the ball valve 30 are opened while the two shutoffvalves V-2 and EV are closed.

- When the system is shut off, the electrically operated shutoff valveEV returns to its open position so that the accumulator Sp is dischargedthrough the port T to the reservoir. At the same time the releasablenon-return valve S will close. As a result, return flow of the liquidunder pressure in accumulator Sp into the system is effectivelyprevented.

By reason of the valve V-l, the accumulator can be manually cut off fromthe hydraulic system which is required in case of repair or checking ofthe system in order that no fluid from the accumulator flow into thesystem.

The shutoff valve V-2 serves to connect and disconnect respectively theaccumulator from the discharge reservoir and this'valve is required whenrepairing or checking the system in order to discharge the hydraulicpressure from the accumulator, the valves V-l, V-2 being manuallyoperable.

The safety valve D located between the accumulator and the reservoir isconnected parallel to the shutoff valves V-l, V-2 and protects theaccumulator against excessive pressure in the system when the valve V-lis opened and against excessive pressure increase in the accumulatorwhen the valve V-l is closed due to ambient conditions such astemperature increase.

In addition, the electrically or pneumatically operated shutoff valveEV, which has an open and closed position, is connected parallel to thevalve V-l. During operation of the system, the valve EV is closed. Incase of current failure the valve EV opens so that the accumulator isconnected to the discharge reservoir and the stored pressure in theaccumulator can be relieved. Consequently, there is no energy in thesystem and none of the hydraulically controlled equipment can operateinadvertently which might cause damage to the equipment or danger to theoperating personnel.

The releasable non-retum valve system is connected in series with thevalve E-l and the valve S is hydraulically or pneumatically operated bya suitable source connected to port 28 and serves for connecting ordisconnecting the accumulator from the hydraulic system mounted to theport P as the operating conditions require.

With the unique system above described, considerably less space isrequired for the various valves employed and due to the elimination ofpipes or tubes being the individual elements, leakage due to vibrationis minimized.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

l. A pressure accumulator or system comprising a block having a port towhich the pressure accumulator may be connected and a pressure port, afirst passageway connecting said ports, a manually operated shutoffvalve in said passageway, a discharge port, a second passagewayconnecting said first passageway to said discharge port, a manuallyoperated control valve in said second passageway to connect saidaccumulator directly to said discharge port, a third passageway betweensaid first passageway and said discharge port, a relief port in saidblock having a pressure relief valve mounted therein and controllingflow of fluid from said first passageway through said third passagewayto pressure port.

2. The combination set forth in claim 1 in which said block has a pairof passageways defining a bypass for said pressure relief valve, saidblock having a pair of ports in communication with said passageway andan automatically operated shutoff valve is operatjvely connected to saidP31! of ports whereby when said valve 18 in closed position said bypassports will be disconnected and when said valve is in open position saidpair of passageways will be connected to directly connect theaccumulator to the discharge port.

3. The combination set forth in claim 2 in which said automaticallyoperated valve is electrically actuated and said valve is in openposition when the current flow to the valve is cut off.

4. The combination set forth in claim 1 in which a one-way valvecontrols flow of fluid from said accumulator through said firstpassageway to said pressure port, said one-way valve being normallyurged to closed position to cut off flow from said accumulator to saidpressure port and means are provided to open said oneway valve.

5. The combination set forth in claim 4 in which said one-way valvecomprises a hollow fitting having a valve seat, a ball valve ispositioned on said seat, resilient means reacting against said ballnormally to retain the latter on said seat, said valve seat beinginterposed between said first passageway and said discharge port and anactuating member is provided movable against said ball to move thelatter off its seat.

6. The combination set forth in claim 4 in which said one-way valvecomprises a hollow fitting having a valve seat, a ball valve ispositioned on said seat, resilient means reacting against said ballnormally to retain the latter on said seat, said valve seat beinginterposed between said first passageway and said discharge port and anactuating member comprising a rod is provided having one end adapted toabut against said ball and a piston mounted on its other end and meansto apply a source of fluid under pressure against said piston to movesaid actuating rod against said ball valve.

1. A pressure accumulator or system comprising a block having a port towhich the pressure accumulator may be connected and a pressure port, afirst passageway connecting said ports, a manually operated shutoffvalve in said passageway, a discharge port, a second passagewayconnecting said first passageway to said discharge port, a manuallyoperated control valve in said second passageway to connect saidaccumulator directly to said discharge port, a third passageway betweensaid first passageway and said discharge port, a relief port in saidblock having a pressure relief valve mounted therein and controllingflow of fluid from said first passageway through said third passagewayto pressure port.
 2. The combination set forth in claim 1 in which saidblock has a pair of passageways defining a bypass for said pressurerelief valve, said block having a pair of ports in communication withsaid passageway and an automatically operated shutoff valve isoperatively connected to said pair of ports whereby when said valve isin closed position said bypass ports will be disconnected and when saidvalve is in open position said pair of passageways will be connected todirectly connect the accumulator to the discharge port.
 3. Thecombination set forth in claim 2 in which said automatically operatedvalve is electrically actuated and said valve is in open position whenthe current flow to the valve is cut off.
 4. The combination set forthin claim 1 in which a one-way valve controls flow of fluid from saidaccumulator through said first passageway to said pressure port, saidone-way valve being normally urged to closed position to cut off flowfrom said accumulator to said pressure port and means are provided toopen said one-way valve.
 5. The combination set forth in claim 4 inwhich said one-way valve comprises a hollow fitting having a valve seat,a ball valve is positioned on said seat, resilient means reactingagainst said ball normally to retain the latter on said seat, said valveseat being interposed between said first passageway and said dischargeport and an actuating member is provided movable against said ball tomove the latter off its seat.
 6. The combination set forth in claim 4 inwhich said one-way valve comprises a hollow fitting having a valve seat,a ball valve is positioned on said seat, resilient means reactingagainst said ball normally to retain the latter on said seat, said valveseat being interposed between said first passageway and said dischargeport and an actuating member comprising a rod is provided having one endadapted to abut against said ball and a piston mounted on its other endand means to apply a source of fluid under pressure against said pistonto move said actuating rod against said ball valve.